Goodell’s Authority Is Once Again Rebuked

By

Jeremy Gordon

Feb 27, 2015 10:44 am ET

Regardless of what color jersey Adrian Peterson is wearing, it seems clear he’ll play in the NFL next season: He’s too good, too young, and his transgressions—disciplining his 4-year old son with a switch—lack the same visual evidence that’s doomed some of his NFL colleagues to perpetual obscurity. On Thursday, he even had a judge side in his favor, ruling that the NFL exceeded its authority by suspending Peterson for all of last season.

Peterson’s suspension was only set to last until April 15, which would’ve theoretically given him an extra month-and-a-half to make his case why he should play for his Minnesota Vikings, with whom he’s still under contract, or any of the rumored teams eager to look at a 29-year old former MVP who just spent an entire season resting his legs. The ruling echoed the Ray Rice decision, in which the former Baltimore Raven’s indefinite suspension was overturned after it was similarly ruled that the NFL overstepped its authority. “This is a meaningful victory for the NFLPA, though, which has now successfully appealed two big suspensions on the grounds that Roger Goodell is making [stuff] up as he goes along,” writes Deadspin’s Tom Ley. But in a not-all-that-surprising move, the NFL has decided to challenge the judge’s ruling, so that Peterson might yet hang in the balance until the original April 15 date. It’s a crucial subtlety, considering his fraught relationship with the VGoodikings and the fact that NFL free agency starts within the month. Most teams will have done all their spending by the middle of April, which would leave him without his already limited options if he has to wait that long. “The NFL doesn’t like its power challenged, even if Judge David Doty’s order to overturn Peterson’s suspension read like a how-to manual on screwing up due process in player discipline,” writes Yahoo’s Frank Schwab. If the Vikings are forced to repair their relationship with Peterson, given the money they owe him, it could be the fraughtest team-player adventure since the Yankees and A-Rod.

It’s not difficult to see why the NFL would fuss so much. The Washington Post’s Mark Maske points out that Goodell’s authority has been rebuked by two judges, and that this might be a sign his influence is waning. “But some within the sport have held the view that when the league was under great public pressure in September while outrage over the Rice, Peterson and Greg Hardy cases grew, the NFL simply took the approach that it would do whatever was necessary to get those players off the field and worry about the legal consequences later,” he writes. “Rice, Peterson and Hardy have not played since. The ramifications continue to play out.” There’s another scenario that might be influenced by the Peterson and Rice cases: The rumor that’s floated around this week about a potentially incriminating video involving Dez Bryant which, as of now, has yet to surface. The video, and what’s supposedly on it, is so unconfirmed it would be irresponsible to speculate. And yet, you can imagine Goodell is keeping an eye on the situation while mulling his options—options that may be more complicated if a judge might immediately countermand them. He still has plenty of power, but now, the limits of that power are being rapidly defined. Found a good column from the world of sports? Don’t keep it to yourself — write to us at dailyfixlinks@gmail.com and we’ll consider your find for inclusion in the Daily Fix. You can email Jeremy at jeremypaulgordon@gmail.com.